The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-08
THE DEEHS SENSATION
CAUSED BY THE USE or NOR
Prime BY THE DOCTOR.
Mrs. Deems's Plea for a Divorce
Met by Counter Charges frem
Her Reverend Husband.

New YORK, May THE troubles
between DR.. Francis M. Deems, son
OF the Rev. Charles 4. Deems, and
his wife, Grace Brotherton Deems.
which, in spite Of the mystery and Sc
crecy with which they have been
enveloped, have been topic of con-
versation in the large congregation
OF the Church of the Strangers for
many months, have eliminated in a
suit'by Mrs. Deems for limited d.
vorce, upon the grounds of cruelty
and abandonment. The first public
hearing of the case took place before
Judge DAILY, in the Court of Common
Pleas, yesterday, upon her applica-
ton for temporary alimony, and an
allowance for counsel fees pending a
decision. Affidavits by her, by. her
husband, and by the Rev. DR..
Deems, were read, after which
Judge DAILY reserved his decision.
Mrs. Deems charges her hus-
band with being a slave to
morphine; he charges her with
being a victim. He admits her
charge, but claims that he is now
cured; she denies his charge in toto
Mrs. Deems says 10 her complaint
that her maiden name was Brother
ton, aud that she is an orphan,
daughter of a banker in Cincinnati,
who lost all his means by the dis
honesty OF trusted employee. Being
thrown upon her own resources, she
came to New York and served as
teacher in the Wilson Industrial
School, No. 125 st. Marks place.
While there she met DIR. Deems, aud
they were married December IS,
1878. She does not claim that he i'll
treated her until after their return
from Augusta, Ga.-where they had
been living for three years-in Jan
uary, 1884. He admits that he be-
came victim of morphine about that
time and says he was driven to it by
the respondent condition into which
he was thrown by the loss OF one Of
their children, whom he dearly
loved. Immediately after coming
back here they went to live with the
Rev. DR.. Deems and his family,
which consisted Of his wife, two
daughters and son, the Rev. Charles
+. Deems and his family.
Mrs. Deems complains that her
life soon became a burden to her;
that she had to work all day, and to
sit up all night with her husband
for fear that he would do some mis-
chief in his excited condition. At
one time, she says, he was bound to
set fire to the house, but she pre-
vented him. AS reward for her
wifely devotion, she complains that
her husband called her from time to
time liar, snake, a viper, fiend,
a devil and NANCY dog. By and
by, she asserts, words alone became
too soft to express his ugly feelings,
and he would shake her and threaten
to kill her; that August "a, 1886, he
threw her across the room, grasped
her by the throat and said he would
murder her.
Her husband says that all these
things are the fancies of her NOR
pinned brain. He asks that she be
obliged to submit to examination of
her arms, which, he asserts, are COW
cred with the marks of hypodermic
injections. AS TO himself, he says
that in December, 1885, he went to
Clifton Springs, and returned home
in May, 1886, cured, not having used
morphine from the time he went
there until now-nor any narcotic
since September, 1886, and feeling
confident that he will never use mar
eptics again.
In October, 1856, DR.. Albert L.
Turner of No. $40 West Sixteenth
street, offered DR.. Deems a home
with him, where he should have a
chance to build up medical prac-
tice. He went and asked his wife to
90 with him. She refused, saying,
according to the statement Of the
Rev. DR.. Deems, that she didn't love
her husband, and that life Of de-
votion on his part would not atone
for his abuse in the past. A spicy
correspondence took place between
them, and finally, November 20, 1886,
the Rev DR.. Deems gave ny the
house, No. 429 West Twenty-second
street, and went to boarding, and
Mrs. Deems was forced to find a
home where she could. She left her
son, Theodore, 6 years old, with his
grandparents and resumed her place
as teacher in the Wilson Industrial
School, which she Quilted when she
was married. Both DIR. Deems and
his father, the Rev, DR.. Deems,
assert that he has not a cent
in the world, and is de-
pendent on charity for sustenance;
that therefore he ought not
to be compelled to pay alimony or
counsel fees. % Sunday he went to
Jersey City flights and opened a
physicians office; but he has not
been overwhelmed with patients yet.
He is a graduate of Bellevue Hos
pital Medical College, class of 1868,
and is 46 years old. Mrs. Deems is
81, The Rev. DIR. Deems, although
hesstoutly espouses the cause of his
son and makes a strong affidavit in
his favor, declaring among other
things that Mrs. Deems was the vic
tim of morphine and abandoned her
husband, instead of his abandoning
her, nevertheless does what he can
out of his salary for his 6aughter-in-
law aud his grandson. He sends her
s. every week aud supports and ed
ucates the child.
DR., Deems was very we'll known in
the South. He was prominent
Methodist minister before and dur
ing the war.